Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) follows the provisions of Virginia law regarding compulsory attendance for all school-aged students and addressing chronic absenteeism. PWCS is committed to monitoring student attendance data and communicating with families.
PWCS communicates with families regarding attendance through daily absence notifications for unverified absences, letters that are generated based on student attendance records, and digital newsletters.
Parents receive daily notifications when a student is absent without prior notice – elementary parents get morning texts, while middle and high school parents receive messages both morning and evening. To avoid unexcused absences, parents should contact the school within five days to verify the absence.
Learn more on the Attendance Guidelines webpage.
Attendance letters are sent to notify parents of:
The goal of attendance letters is to inform parents of student attendance concerns, educate them on the importance of attendance, and encourage communication between families and the school. PWCS has many resources available for students and families needing support with attendance-related matters.
Contact your student's school if you have additional questions about attendance letters or need assistance.
The goals of the Excused Absence letters are to:
The Excused Absence Notification letter is sent when a student has had five or more full-day excused absences from school.
Sample Excused Absence Notification letter (PDF)
The Excessive Excused Absence Notification letter is sent when a student has had 10 or more full-day excused absences from school.
The goals of truancy letters are to:
The First Notification of Truancy letter is sent when a student has had three or more full-day unexcused absences from school.
Sample First Notification of Truancy letter (PDF)
The Second Notification of Truancy letter is sent when a student has five or more full-day unexcused absences from school.
Sample Second Notification of Truancy letter (PDF)
The Third Notification of Truancy letter is sent when a student has had nine or more full-day unexcused absences from school.
The goals of Chronic Absenteeism letters are to:
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year for any reason, excused or unexcused.
The Chronic Absenteeism Notification letter is sent when students have been absent 10% of the school year and have a minimum of nine total excused or unexcused absences.
Digital newsletters are designed to promote better attendance through timely, personalized, and proactive behavior-based messaging.
These digital newsletters complement our existing physical attendance letters, extending outreach across the entire attendance spectrum – not just those who are already missing school. Messages will be sent through email and text.
K-3 Plus Campaign – Targets families of K-3 students who have missed school two or more times. Includes four grade-specific newsletters offering supportive nudges.
95% Attendance Campaign – Celebrates students with excellent or satisfactory attendance by sending positive reinforcement messages to their families.
Beat the Average Campaign – Reaches families of students who have missed 7.5% to 15% of school days, encouraging them to help their child “beat the average” and improve attendance.
Improved Attendance Campaign – Recognizes students who have missed six or more days but show a 50% or greater improvement in attendance over the past two months. Families receive a kind, congratulatory message.
Curbing Chronic Absenteeism Campaign – Aims to prevent chronic absenteeism by targeting students who have missed 5% to 9.9% of school days. Educates families on the impact of each absence and encourages proactive attendance support.